RATIONS

The rations carried by aircrew personnel are not intended for subsistence but as a source of quick energy when no other food is available.

The food packet contains two packets of candy and gum, twine, and an instruction sheet.

Figure 5-5.-Rations.

When you inspect any item that contains these rations, you should remove and replace any food packet that is older than 6 1/2 years (fig. 5-5).

CANNED DRINKING WATER

Canned drinking water (fig. 5-6) is intended for use in emergencies when no other clean water

Figure 5-6.-Canned drinking water.

is available. One can of water supports a survivor for about 1 day.

A can of drinking water contains 10 ounces of pure drinking water and maybe carried in this ready-to-use state.

The canned drinking water should be inspected upon issue and every 90 days thereafter, or at intervals to coincide with the inspection schedule of the kit or assembly in which the can is stored. Inspection will consist of the slap test and the shelf life and service life check.

The slap test consists of slapping the can of water against the palm of your hand and listening for a sharp metallic click. This noise is caused by the absence of air to cushion the impact of the water against the can. If this distinct noise is not heard, then air has leaked into the can and it should be replaced.

The shelf life and the service life of canned water are both indefinite as long as the cans pass the slap test and there are no signs of exterior deterioration.

SURVIVAL RADIOS AND BEACONS

Today's rescue procedures are based upon early detection and fast recovery of the surviving aircrewman. Once an aircrewman has been placed into a survival position, it is essential that he be located as soon as possible. The one item that can accomplish this is the survival radio.

Navy aircrewmen carry, as part of their personal survival equipment, a two-way communication radio. This radio is either the AN/PRC-63 or the AN/PRC-90. You must check each aircrewman's radio when you perform the 90-day calendar inspection on his survival equipment.

This chapter describes the operation and inspection of these radios. It also covers the AN/URT-33A and the AN/PRT-5 radio transmitters.

AN/PRC-63 RADIO SET

The AN/PRC-63 radio set is a compact, rugged, lightweight, battery-powered, microelectronic transceiver. (See figure 5-7.) The radio set has three basic modes of operation:

1. beacon tone transmission (activated either manually or by means of an automatic deployment device);

2. voice transmission; and

Simplicity of operation has been the keynote in the design of the AN/PRC-63 radio set. A slide switch turns the radio set on (in beacon mode) or off, and a three-position toggle switch changes from beacon transmit to either voice transmit or voice receive. A volume control, located in the upper corner of the radio set, controls the level of sound output of the beacon confidence tone (used to verify that the beacon signal is getting out) and the receiver. No other controls have been provided or are required. All these controls can be operated with either hand (bare or gloved). If the user loses consciousness and releases the radio set (once turned on), it automatically returns to the beacon mode of operation.